Nissan Hi-Cross Concept: Geneva 2012

Patent filings have given us plenty of early glimpses at future cars recently, but generally speaking, we tend to know what we're looking at. What we're seeing here is obviously an upcoming Nissan utility vehicle based largely on the 2012 Hi-Cross Concept, but other than that, there's really no information. Our best guess is that this is a peak at the next-generation X-Trail – Nissan's small, rugged crossover that isn't currently available in the US.

The types of pure electric vehicles available on the market are quite limited. For now, we've got compact and midsize cars and high performance sports cars. More are coming, but that's it today unless you want to get a conversion. What if you were looking for an official, electric SUV or a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) to transport your family, groceries, and camping gear?

Nissan is in the process of overhauling five of its most popular models, beginning with the 2013 Altima that just went into production at the automaker's Smyrna, Tennessee facility. Next up is the all-new Pathfinder, which made its debut in Detroit earlier this year, and now Kicking Tires reports that the smaller Rogue crossover will be the next vehicle to get a much-needed freshening.

Nissan's stables are already all ate up with crossovers – they've got the Murano, the Rogue, the Juke and the new Pathfinder, not to mention overseas models like the wildly popular Qashqai or corner cases like the Murano CrossCabriolet. So what's one more thrown into the mix? Enter the Nissan Hi-Cross. Officially a concept, the Hi-Cross could just be a peek at the next-generation Murano, or it could be a look at a new Euro-market entrant? It could just be a pure concept, but it seems to be

Nissan's stables are already all ate up with crossovers – they've got the Murano, the Rogue, the Juke and the new Pathfinder, not to mention overseas models like the wildly popular Qashqai or corner cases like the Murano CrossCabriolet. So what's one more thrown into the mix? Enter the Nissan Hi-Cross. Officially a concept, the Hi-Cross could just be a peek at the next-generation Murano, or it could be a look at a new Euro-market entrant? It could just be a pure concept, but it seems to be